NZ vs WI Highlights, 1st T20I: Santner fifty in vain as West Indies beats New Zealand by seven runs

NZ vs WI Highlights, 1st T20I: Santner’s Fifty Not Enough as West Indies Triumphs by Seven Runs

West Indies defeated New Zealand by seven runs in the first T20 International at Eden Park, Auckland, on November 5. Despite a resilient half-century from New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, the home side fell short in the chase.

“West Indies’ Roston Chase celebrates the wicket of New Zealand’s Mark Chapman.” – AFP Photo

Match Overview

The tightly contested game opened the five-match T20I series between New Zealand and the West Indies. New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl first on a cool Auckland evening, setting the stage for an exciting encounter.

Team Line-ups

New Zealand

Tim Robinson
Devon Conway (wk)
Rachin Ravindra
Mark Chapman
Daryl Mitchell
Michael Bracewell
James Neesham
Mitchell Santner (c)
Zakary Foulkes
Kyle Jamieson
Jacob Duffy

West Indies

Shai Hope (wk, c)
Alick Athanaze
Brandon King
Roston Chase
Ackeem Auguste
Rovman Powell
Jason Holder
Romario Shepherd
Matthew Forde
Akeal Hosein
Jayden Seales

Series Context

This was the first of five matches in the series. The Kiwis, having endured back-to-back rain-affected T20I losses to Australia and England, aimed to reset under Santner’s leadership. Meanwhile, the West Indies entered the tour full of confidence after a 3-0 sweep over Bangladesh in their previous T20I series.

Upcoming Matches

The multi-format tour continues after the T20I fixtures with three One-Day Internationals and three Test matches between the two sides.

Author’s summary: A strong start for West Indies in Auckland as their disciplined play overcame Santner’s brave stand, setting the tone for the rest of the tour.

Sportstar — 2025-11-06